


Circus Gallifrey

by youwerefantasticrose



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:50:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youwerefantasticrose/pseuds/youwerefantasticrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor is the ringmaster of Circus Gallifrey, and Rose Tyler has always loved the circus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Circus Gallifrey

She’d fantasized about it for years: running away with the circus. Ever since she started riding at a young age. She’d lay in bed imagining it: the bright sparkling costumes, the majestic white horses, and her, Rose Tyler, atop them.

But she grew up; went to school, gave up riding (too expensive, and not at all practical, her mum said), and she got a job in a shop. Normal, boring life.

But she went to every circus that came to town. She’d sink into the crowd, finding a seat among strangers, and she’d dream, forgetting where she worked and who she was, and remembering what she could have been, maybe, once upon a time.

She recalled all this as she spoke to her mum on the phone, telling her she was working a late shift and wouldn’t be home anytime soon. Jackie didn’t approve of the circus; she’d throw a fit if she knew where she really was. 

The music began inside the tent, and she made her way in with the other spectators, settling down in her seat. She smiled as she took a deep breath, taking in the scent of popcorn, cotton candy, and hay. Smells like home, she thought.

The lights dimmed, and she clasped her hands, heart beating in anticipation. She was more excited than usual, no idea why.

The tent went completely dark, and the audience went silent, hundreds of breaths held as they waited.

Twin spotlights suddenly lit, revealing a figure standing in the center of the big top. He was tall, clad in a tuxedo, his top hat pulled low over his face. (And were those black Converse he had on?)

“Ladies and gentleman… welcome to the greatest show on earth,” the man’s voice was quiet, but somehow echoed through the tent. Everyone in the audience was quiet, as though waiting for something.

The man lifted off his top hat, revealing his face and a wild mess of hair that still somehow looked perfect. He grinned up at the spectators, and Rose’s heart leapt as his eyes seemed to slide over her.

“Or should I say, the universe?”

At his words, the lights lit up, different colors shining through the tent as the different acts burst in.

“I’m the Doctor, and this is the Circus Gallifrey!”

The show started, and Rose was captivated, more so than she ever had been in her life.

First the lion tamer, a handsome man called Captain Jack, who charmed not only the lion but the whole audience.

The spectators cheered at the stunning acrobatic skills of the Ponds, and Mickey the clown was a hit with the children.

But Rose couldn’t keep her eyes off the ringmaster; the Doctor, he’d called himself. He was practically vibrating with energy, his grin brighter to her than any of the lights.

The show seemed to whiz by, and Rose wasn’t the only one disappointed when the Doctor announced the last act. 

“Oh, come on, now!” he called over the groan of the crowd. “It’s not over yet!”

He waved his arms with a flourish to the side of the tent, and a magnificent white horse walked through, provoking a gasp of awe from the spectators, the loudest one from Rose. The Doctor turned back to the audience, grinning as his eyes surveyed them all. They stopped on Rose, and their eyes met. His grin grew wider (impossibly, she thought, how can anyone smile so wide?) and she blushed, smiling back shyly.

He turned back to the horse, bowing to it, and it stopped in front of him, bending its front legs into a bow of its own, much to the delight of the house. The Doctor led the horse in a few more tricks, and the audience cheered them on, entranced by the horse’s grace and trust in the Doctor.

The Doctor asked for quiet, and the audience obliged. One of the clowns laid down on the ground, a giant inflatable ball balanced on his stomach. The Doctor stood on one side of him, and the horse on the other, and the Doctor raised his hand towards the audience as a reminder to keep quiet. He signaled the horse, which began to run, preparing to jump over the obstacle. 

Just then, someone in the audience yelled, and the horse faltered, the clown rolling out of the way quickly. But at the sound, other members of the audience began murmuring, trying to figure out what was happening. The horse was spooked, pawing the ground rapidly and neighing loudly, while people grew louder, standing up and moving around trying to find the source of the noise. 

Rose kept her eyes on the horse, and the Doctor, rushing over to him, reached up to try and calm him down. But the horse was scared, and he reared up on his hind legs, towering over the ringmaster.

Rose ran without thinking, pushing past the people standing in front of her, and raced towards the commotion. She reached them just as the horse began to come down, and she grabbed the Doctor’s jacket, pulling him out of the way just in time.

The horse came down harmlessly on the ground, and she stepped up to him, grabbing his reins gently and holding him still. She spoke softly to him, stroking his head and calming him, until he was quiet, nuzzling against her.

The Doctor came up behind her, taking her hand.

“What’s your name?” he whispered quickly in her ear.

“Rose,” she answered, her heart beating fast with adrenaline and the touch of his hand on hers.

He smiled at her, then turned and faced them to the audience. He lifted their joined hands high.

“Ladies and gentleman, the Magnificent Rose!”

The audience cheered, and his hand squeezed hers, and Rose had never felt so alive.

He turned to her, his face bathed in the spotlight, so bright she could see every freckle, and he grinned.

“Run!” he said, tugging her hand, and they did, out of the back of the tent.

The show was over, and the spectators began to trickle out. The Doctor turned to her, still smiling.

“Well, Rose, I owe you a big thanks.”

“‘S no problem,” she said, blushing. “I’m good with horses.”

“I’d say so. You were fantastic.”

He went to wave his hands for emphasis, and seemed to only then realize that he still held hers. He pulled away with a cough, his hand tugging at his ear.

“Lost my last horse woman, you see. Trying to work out the new act. It’s been a bit difficult ‘round here, a bit of a—”

“You better not say circus,” she said with a grin, her tongue poking out.

He smiled back. “Course not, I wasn’t. But anyway… can you ride?”

“Yeah,” she answered. “I can.”

“Well, then…” he trailed off, and she waited for him to finish.

“Yeah?”

He suddenly looked nervous, and she fought back a grin, affection for this strange man already bubbling up in her chest.

“You could come along,” he said in a rush, his eyes meeting hers. “If you want.”

She thought about it for a moment, considering her job and her responsibilities and what would her mum say? But she smiled, her answer coming out easily.

“I’d love to.”


End file.
